1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to inventory identification and control systems and more particularly to a system using inventory identity labels mounted adjacent to inventory items, the labels providing identification information relative to the inventory and wherein the labels are enabled for communication with a computerized inventory management system, and wherein the labels"" location and status is known at any time from a remote location.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Goodwin, III, U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,215 describes a method of optimizing electronic price label (EPL) systems which employs a three-dimensional graph of retry levels in a transaction establishment. The method includes the steps of determining locations of EPLs within the transaction establishment, determining locations of transmit and receive antennas that are used by a computer to communicate with the EPLs, determining retry levels for the EPLs, mapping the retry levels to locations within the transaction establishment, producing a three-dimensional graph of the retry levels within the area of the transaction establishment, and determining, from the graph, subareas within the area having retry levels above a predetermined maximum retry level. Once the subareas having higher retry levels are determined, the locations of the transmit and receive antennas may be changed and/or interfering structures may be moved until the retry levels of the subareas are below the predetermined maximum retry level.
DeTemple et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,015 describes a system for communicating between a store computer and locations in the aisles of a retail facility. A hard-wired grid connects the store computer to a plurality of transceivers located in zones throughout the facility and the transceivers establish a wireless link to the locations. One embodiment is a product information display system in which the locations are fixed information display terminals, such as price displaying shelf tags. Another embodiment is an item tracking system, in which the locations are movable shopping carts or baskets.
Failing, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,481 describes an improved system for space management in retail stores. The space management system includes price display labels mounted on rails along the edges of shelves in a store. A communications link between the computer and the labels permits the computer to address each label by a logical address and to determine the physical location of each label to within a resolution of typically four feet. The system prepares price audit lists and adjacency audit lists that permit economical use of the time of store personnel during the audit. The lists are generated in such a way that the items on a particular list are physically contiguous; thus once the correct general area has been located by the auditor little additional time need be spent locating the individual items. In performing an audit of product facings, the user is able to use the display hardware, including the pushbutton on each label, as a data collection system for product facing information. In product location mode, the user starts at the first label at one end of a shelf and presses the button on the first label. The user moves to the second label, presses its button, moves to the third label, and the process is repeated for each label along the shelf, and for the rest of the shelves in the area being audited. This permits the system to collect information as to the sequence of labels along a rail.
Halperin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,004 describes a product monitoring system for monitoring a variety of products grouped according to their identities on shelves, including a central computer storing the identification of each group of products on the shelves; a plurality of electronic shelf labels, each located adjacent to a shelf for a group of products, communicating with the central computer, storing the identification of the respective group of products, displaying information relating to the respective group of products, and reading out the identification of the respective group of products; a plurality of portable units each to be carried by a user of the system; and a record memory for each portable unit. Each portable unit includes a read-in device capable of establishing a short-range communication link with the read-out device of each electronic shelf label for reading in the product identification and for recording same in the record memory for the respective portable unit.
Sutherland, U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,190 describes a shelf tag comprising a liquid crystal display having optical states which are stable without power and an interface that allows for each character element to be programmed easily by sweeping a programming device across the character element contacts with all power and signal requirements being supplied to the shelf tag by the programming device. The programming device can be integrated with a portable transaction computer equipped with a bar code reader or can be embodied in a stand-alone apparatus capable of receiving user input, displaying information and interfacing to the shelf tags. A method of using the shelf tags, the programming device and a radio frequency computer local area network are presented which automates many typical business applications such as inventory updating and simultaneously changing prices advertised on the shelf tags.
Brick et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,342 describes an electronic pricing and display system using programmable electronic shelf tags. Programmable electronic shelf tags are used in connection with apparatus for programming the electronic shelf tags. Pricing and product information is stored in databases of a computer system for such purposes as inventory control and updating pricing information. A portable programming device is used to transmit programming data Methods are provided for fast and convenient modification of large numbers of electronic shelf tags located throughout a facility (e.g., a retail store).
Gelbman, U.S. Pat. No. 2001/0020935 A1 describes smart and dumb implementations of a stand-alone, remotely updateable, remotely alterable, flexible electronic label. The electronic label provides for displaying information in connection with a mammal, non-mammal, an item or location. The label includes a display assembly having electronic ink disposed on a support, one or more antennas for sending or receiving signals corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or selected indicia to be displayed by said display assembly, a storage element in circuit with the antenna for storing the instructions, programs, data and indicia, and one or more processors for intelligently determining the indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, for controlling and coordinating operation of the label, and for generating output signals for instructing the display assembly to display the indicia.
Hook et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2001/0054005 A1 describes an electronic display tag system. The system has an electronic display tag including a display for displaying at least one of pricing data and product identification data, the display having bistable character elements or bistable pixels. The display tag has a decoder logic unit for decoding received programming data and for updating the display based on the programming data, the programming data being received wirelessly. The display tag also has a wireless transceiver, the wireless transceiver for converting a power-inducing signal transmitted wirelessly to the display tag into electrical power, the electrical power used by the decoder logic unit to update the display.
Gelbman, WO 00/16189 describes smart and dumb implementations of a stand-alone, remotely updateable, remotely alterable, flexible electronic label. The electronic label provides for displaying information in connection with a mammal, non-mammal, an item or location. The label includes a display assembly having electronic ink disposed on a support, one or more antennas for sending or receiving signals corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or selected indicia to be displayed by said display assembly, a storage element in circuit with the antenna for storing the instructions, programs, data and indicia, and, one or more processors for intelligently determining the indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, for controlling and coordinating operation of the label, and for generating output signals for instructing the display assembly to display the indicia.
Visible Tech-Knowledgy, LLC, WO 02/063602 describes smart and dumb implementation of a stand-alone, remotely updateable, remotely alterable, flexible electronic label. The flexibility of the electronic label allows the label to fit into and conform to the shape of the molding used in retail store shelving to display merchandize and warehouse shelving. The flexible, thin label includes a flexible display assembly having electronic ink disposed on a support, one or more antennas for sending or receiving signals corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or selected indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, a storage element in circuit with the antenna for storing the instructions, programs, data and indicia, and one or more processors for intelligently determining the indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, for controlling and coordinating operation of the label, and for generating output signals for instructing the display assembly to display the indicia.
Visible Techknowledgy, LLC, WO 02/071382 describes smart and dumb implementations of a stand-alone, remotely updateable, remotely alterable, flexible electronic label. The electronic label provides for displaying information in connection with a mammal, non-mammal, an item or location. The label includes a display assembly having electronic ink disposed on a support, one or more antennas for sending or receiving signals corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or selected indicia to be displayed by said display assembly, a storage element in circuit with the antenna for storing the instructions, programs, data and indicia, and one or more processors for intelligently determining the indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, for controlling and coordinating operation of the label (16), and for generating output signals for instructing the display assembly to display the indicia.
The prior art teaches a smart electronic label employing electronic ink, a programmable shelf tagging system, a method of optimizing electronic price label systems, a remote elecroic information display system for retail facilities, a space management system for retail stores, a product monitoring system, a programmable shelf tag and method for changing and updating shelf tag information, and a programmable shelf tag and method for changing and updating shelf tag information. However, the prior art does not teach a smart label with two-way radio communication capability for use in a three-space locating system. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention uses a network of ultra wide band (UWB) units capable, as a group, of precisely locating objects in three-dimensional space as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,400,754 and 6,385,268 to Fleming, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,903 to Richards. These xe2x80x9cunitsxe2x80x9d are able to determine their locations in reference to a give point in space. Miniature units may be built into electronic shelf labels as will be described below. Once activated, these Units become part of a UWB network. Such networks may comprise a wired or wireless simplex or full duplex electronic labeling system and is advantageously employed in stores and retail establishments. Each Unit is attached to an individual label; has its own address and the label displays data received from a source such as a computer system. Typically such information will include any of: description of an item, unit price, price per weight unit, quantity in stock, special promotions, etc. In duplex systems the label responds with an acknowledgement when addressed.
The primary purpose of the present invention is to incorporate the information displayed in such an electronic labeling system with the ability to determine the accurate location of each label and to provide an interactive data storage capability, that includes not only the data displayed by the label but also its location. This enables a virtual map of a storage facility such as a retail store and provides significant advantages.
Such a system reduces the stocking process cycle time, cuts down on new store setup-time, improves stocking issues such as over or under stocking, and enables users to locate a specific stock item quickly. For on line shoppers, or from a store kiosk, locating items is very easy.
The Units are matched to labels and attached to shelves to identify specific stock items. The Units communicate with other units already in place so as to determine current location, as described in the prior art. Each label displays information pertaining to a specific stock item. The units communicate with the computer system to update the database with current location. Such updates can be performed on a regular schedule, when a unit detects a change in its location or per user request when trying to locate a specific item.
All physical fixtures, i.e. shelves, hooks, displays etc. are mapped as to exact size and location in the database. This results in the ability to create a xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d store layout.
The present invention is an inventory control and identification system and method for use in large inventory stores such as warehouses and retail establishments containing thousands of items. Such items may be of any type, such as automobiles, tires, hardware, tools, foodstuffs, and so on, and may be stored in a two-dimensional array, such as with automobiles on a sales lot, or in a three-dimensional array (in three-space) such as in aisles having racks.
To accomplish the present inventory control and identification system and method, the present invention provides a label adapted for attachment to inventory shelves and the like.
The labels are adapted for displaying inventory information such as ID number, price, quantity, price per unit quantity and other information. Such information is displayed on the labels using liquid crystal display technology.
The label is enabled with an electronic pictorial display for identification of the inventory. A network of the units are set in a fixed position relative to the storage space and are enabled for wireless communication with the identification labels. A computer system is enabled for wireless communication with the units so as to remotely change the displays on the labels and to identify the locations of the labels.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a system and method of use that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of recording the nature and location in three-space, of items in an inventory stores.
A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of remotely changing information on inventory identity labels.
A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of confirming status of the inventory markers or displays to a remote location.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.